Our Breeding Program:

Heritage and Landrace Chickens; Standard and Jumbo Coturnix Quail

At Ellen J Farm, we believe in quality over quantity. We single-mate our birds, allowing us to track the lineage of every chick on the farm for future breeders. We do not replace our parent stock annually. Instead, we record a strain’s longevity and productivity as part of our breeding program.

We provide insulated, well-ventilated shelter, a run, dry bedding, fresh water, food, grit, and oyster shells. A healthy bird should thrive in its environment, forage well, and demonstrate thriftiness, contributing to a happy, healthy bird with a robust immune system. We only use birds of superior genetics as our brood stock. We test for Pullorum-Typhoid and Avian Influenza annually to ensure we send you the healthiest birds possible.

We focus on health, beauty, and function when selecting brood fowl. We monitor and maintain key traits of the breed, such as broodiness, egg production, and foraging ability. Color is not the only essential aspect of selecting an ideal bird. The standout birds—representing the top 10% of chicks hatched during that year’s breeding season—are chosen and paired with a compatible partner for the following year. Our goal is to breed for the complete package.

The selection process continues throughout each bird's lifetime. We cull any recessive defects, including wry tail, sunken eye, stargazing, and split tail, among others. Recessive defects can be complex to eliminate; however, culling, test mating, and tracking lineage help us clean up the strain to ensure a future with minimal defects.

We also cull weak or subpar birds and those with traits that would disqualify them from the showpen. The only exception is if a strain requires additional help or we do not have enough birds to select from; in such cases, we may attempt to breed through it.

Here at our farm, we prefer to sell straight-run chicks to promote our chickens and quail. We want to encourage others to adopt them whenever possible. We want you to raise these wonderful breeds and varieties successfully.

If you have any questions about our birds. You are more than welcome to contact us!